The Best of Science Fiction 12

One of the odder words just now is hero, which has virtually turned itself inside out. The anti-hero is not just a literary device but a sociological phenomenon. In fiction, the only really bouncy types seem to be the Conans and Elrics — the figures of 'heroic fantasy.' In real life, the 'activist' heroes are actually anti-villians — the violence kids, Hell's Angels, Stokely and Rap. (Or is Dr. Spock the anti-villain, breaking the law by stepping carefully over a police barrier under the eyes of hundreds of carefully motionless police?) Even the natural heroes of our age — the astronauts-in-armour on their flaming charges — are committed to a sit-still stay-in-place talk don't-act performance. Indeed, the closer we get to the actuality of space travel (and we are very close; the less the prospect seems to inflame the public imagination; instead not just popular, but even scientific, interest in UFO's and flying saucers has been considerably renewed in the past two years.

Let them come to us: don't break security.